


Once Upon A Dream

by Freezeurbrain



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Anthony Chatmon Rich!!, Disney AU, Fairies, M/M, Magic, More love for the understudies for Rich 2k19, Sleeping Beauty AU, richjake
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-03
Updated: 2019-11-01
Packaged: 2020-10-06 11:43:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20506418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Freezeurbrain/pseuds/Freezeurbrain
Summary: A far-off kingdom. A young prince. A wicked fairy, and her terrible curse. And a spell, a spell that can only be broken by the kiss of true love.





	1. Prologue

The kingdom of Lailon was a small one, tucked against a mountain range on one end and a vast sea on the other. Lailon was ruled by a king and queen who had longed for a child for many years, and one day, their wish was granted when the Queen discovered she was with child. Some time later, a healthy baby boy was born, a prince- Prince Richard. The King and Queen were elated, and declared a holiday throughout Lailon, so that all of high and low estate may pay their homage to the infant prince. And our story begins on that day, where all the kingdom’s citizens assembled in the castle’s great hall. And what a sight it was, commoners and nobles standing next to one another as equals, brought together by this joyous day. Many esteemed guests were gathered in the hall as well, Royal families from neighboring kingdoms. One such family was the Dillingers, the rulers of the kingdom over the mountains. 

Even three fairies had been invited, a rare treat for the kingdom’s citizens. Most of them had never even _seen_ a fairy before, let alone three, so everyone was craning their necks trying to get a glimpse. The excitement only increased once the word spread that each fairy would be offering the child a gift- a fairy gift was precious, something to be treasured forever. A fairy could only bestow one gift on a single person, so each one had to count.

“Your Majesties...” The footman cleared his throat. He didn’t enjoy the presence of fairies in the hall, one, for example, brought blue butterflies that surrounded her, and he had tirelessly worked to eradicate insects from the hall. However, he was not so foolish as to anger the fairies- a fairy could do great good, but if you crossed one, they could do great harm. “May I present Mistress Chloe, Mistress Brooke, and Mistress Jenna.” 

Chloe, a ravishing fairy dressed in red, bowed her head, holding her skirt as she dipped into a curtsy. Red amaryllis flowers were tucked behind her ears, a reminder of the forest from which she hailed. 

“Congratulations.” Chloe smiled, then bent over the cradle to examine the infant, to determine the best gift possible. “What a little darling.” She tapped a red painted nail to her jaw, musing. “I could give him the gift of beauty, but I can already see that he won’t need it as he grows. This is a hard one.” She presses her lips together, pondering. “Aha. I’ve got it.” 

With two gentle hands, she delicately lifted the baby from his crib and began to rock him gently, and from the amaryllis flowers, a delicate mist of magic wafted towards Prince Richard. The baby gave a high-pitched sneeze, and Chloe chuckled. 

“Little one,” she proclaimed, “my gift shall be the gift of wisdom. With this, you shall be an amazing king when you grow up.” She leaned forward, as if to speak to the baby, and whispered, “Between you and me, I find that it does good to give little boys an extra dose of wisdom. Some grown men could use it, too.” 

She straightened her posture, smiled, and placed the young prince back in his cradle. “Jenna, you’re next.” 

The second fairy, Jenna, clothed in silky blue, stepped up to the cradle. Delicate blue butterflies fluttered through the air as she stepped, landing on her shoulders when she stopped by the cradle. 

Just as Chloe had, Jenna picked up the young prince and held him in her arms. She, too, took a second to ponder her gift- it wasn’t something to be wasted, after all, and Jenna wanted to make it count. 

“Well, he is a tough one.” Jenna mused, rocking the infant gently back and forth. “Wisdom is a good quality for our future king, Chloe was right to give him that. But what else?” 

A single blue butterfly flew down from Jenna’s shoulder and landed on Prince Richard’s forehead. The young prince laughed, and Jenna clicked her tongue. “Ah. I’ve got it.” 

The butterfly’s wings began to glow a brilliant blue as Prince Richard watched in awe, his tiny eyes widening. “Little Prince, I give you the gift of kindness. Let your rule be as fair as it is wise.” She turned to the Queen and King. “Wisdom is a very lovely gift, but I find it sometimes helps to be kind and wise.”  
Chloe nodded in agreement, then turned to the final fairy, who was also the youngest. Her name was Brooke. Brooke had long, blonde hair that was held off her face by a pale green ribbon, and behind her ear was tucked a dandelion. 

“Is it my turn?” Brooke asked, her face brightening. 

“Yes,” Jenna nodded, placing Prince Richard back into his cradle. 

Brooke squealed with excitement, nearly tripping over her long, green skirts as she walked up to the cradle. “Oh, he’s so cute!” 

Everyone had to laugh at Brooke’s enthusiasm, even the grumpy old footman stifled a smile. 

Brooke lifted the Prince from his cradle, just as Chloe and Jenna had. Though she wasn’t showing it, she was nervous. The other two fairies had bestowed several gifts on humans before, however, this would be Brooke’s first time. What if she messed it up? 

She bounced the infant gently, and Prince laughed. Brooke’s eyes traveled all around the auditorium, landing on the Dillinger family, whose own son had been born just a few months before, an infant with dark skin and curly black hair- Prince Jacob. 

Brooke smiled. “Prince Richard, my gift shall be the gift of-“ 

However, before Brooke could finish, a great gust of wind swept through the hall, snuffing out every single candle and lantern and plunging the great room into darkness. Cries of shock and alarm rose up from the crowd, and, outside the castle, the guests could hear that it had suddenly begun to storm fiercely, as thunder shook the castle walls and a bolt of lightning cracked across the sky. The Prince gave a tiny cry of distress from Brooke’s arms just as the great wooden doors opened, letting rainwater spill into the hall. A flash of lightning illuminated a figure standing in the doorway, a figure who began to walk down the center aisle, which had been cleared for easy exit in case of an emergency. 

“It’s Madeline.” Chloe whispered, her tone like acid.

“What does she want?” Brooke’s eyes widened. 

Madeline eyed the citizens on either side of the aisle, who seemed to have been scared speechless. She smiled, as if their fear delighted her- and it probably did. Madeline was a dark fairy, hailing from the species who lived in the caves below the mountains, and a very powerful one at that. Even her appearance was enough to put fear into the hearts of even the bravest human- curved horns sprouted from her head, broken only by her long, dark hair, and her eyes were the most horrendous shade of gold that could be imagined- like a serpent’s eyes. 

“Quite a glittering assemblage we have here.” Madeline didn’t speak loudly, but somehow her voice echoed in the hall, bouncing off the stone walls and reverberating back towards the frightened crowd. “Royalty, nobility, the Gentry and, oh, how quaint. Even the peasants.”

Brooke clutched the young Prince tighter, a surge of fear running through her chest. 

“I really felt quite distress at not receiving an invitation. Perhaps it was lost in the mail?” Madeline raised an eyebrow, her hand closed around a staff of curved wood with a glowing green orb at the end. 

“You weren’t wanted.” The King narrowed his eyes. 

“Not wanted?” Madeline’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “Oh dear. What an awkward situation. I hope it was merely due to some oversight.” She raised an eyebrow, as if waiting for the King and Queen to say something. After a long moment of excruciating silence, she spoke again. “Well, if that’s the case, I had best be on my way.”

“You’re...” The Queen seemed to have trouble speaking from her fright. “You’re not offended?”

Madeline laughed, a cold, cruel sound. “Offended? Not at all.” The corner of her mouth quirked upward in a wicked smirk. “In fact, just to show my goodwill, I too will bestow a gift on the boy.”

“He doesn’t need your gift.” Jenna narrowed her eyes and moved in front of Brooke. 

“Nonsense, nonsense.” Madeline’s voice dropped to a low tone, yet somehow still carried. “I insist.” 

With that, Madeline slammed the bottom end of her staff into the ground, causing lime green flames of magic to flare up around her. “Listen well, all of you!” Her voice boomed throughout the hall, shaking the walls more than the thunder had. “The Prince will indeed grow up in grace and virtue, beloved by all who meet him. However,” A smile crossed Madeline’s face. “Before the sun sets on his eighteenth birthday, the Prince will prick his finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel... and _die_.” 

The Queen let out a cry of despair. “No!”

Madeline laughed as the flames around her surged, not singeing a single person, but still burning hot and fierce. 

“Seize her!” The king stood up, and guards that had been positioned around the sides of the hall seemed to be shook from their fear and dashed towards Madeline. However, before they could reach her, she vanished in a bright burst of flame, only the echo of her laugh remaining in the hall. 

“Can’t you do something?” The Queen asked the fairies, her voice breaking. 

“I...” Brooke realized she was still clutching the child. “I haven’t given my gift yet.” 

“Couldn’t you reverse it?” The Queen’s tear-filled eyes widened. 

Brooke shook her head. “Madeline’s powers are far too great. I cannot change the spell. However, I can... alter it.” 

Brooke took a deep breath, and the dandelion behind her ear set loose its seeds, as if it had been caught in a breeze. The dandelion seeds drifted down onto the Prince Richard, who watched them with awe. 

“Sweet child, if you do, in fact, prick your finger on the spindle, there is still hope. For my gift is that you will not die, just fall into a peaceful sleep. A sleep that will be broken by true love’s kiss.” The dandelion seeds glowed a faint gold color, then vanished. The spell had been performed.

However, the King, still fearful for his young son’s life, decreed that on that day, every single spinning wheel in the kingdom was to be seized and burned. And so it was done. 

*** 

Later, the three fairies had assembled in an empty room in the castle, discussing what could be done for the young prince. 

“Is it possible it was just idle threats?” Brooke asked.

Chloe shook her head. “Madeline isn’t one for making empty promises.”

“Perhaps we could reason with her.” Jenna offered. 

“Reason? With Madeline?” Chloe’s eyes widened. “Jenna, have you lost your mind?” 

“She can’t be all bad.” Jenna clasped her hands in her lap nervously.

“Oh, yes she can.” Chloe said.

“I’d very much like to turn her into a horsefly.” Brooke growled.

“You know we can’t do that.” Jenna set a hand on Brooke’s shoulder. “Our magic can only be used for good.”

“Well, it would make me very happy.” Brooke muttered.

“I’ve got it!” Chloe snapped her fingers. “I’ll turn him into a flower for eighteen years. Flowers can’t prick their fingers. He’ll be perfectly safe.” 

“Chloe, he is a boy. You can’t just turn him into a flower.” Jenna scolded. “And besides, what happens when Madeline gets wind of your scheme and sends a frost? She always ruins your best flowers that way.”

Chloe sighed in defeat. “You’re right. And she’ll be expecting us to do something like that.” 

“But what won’t she expect?” Brooke groaned. “She knows everything.” 

“Not everything.” Jenna’s eyes widened. “I’ve got it.” 

“Got what?” Brooke asked.

“Madeline _doesn’t_ know everything, Brooke. She knows nothing of love, or kindness, or the joy of helping earnest. Sometimes, I think she’s not happy at all.”

“That’s it.” Chloe’s eyes widened as she realized Jenna’s plan. “Of course! It’s the only thing she can’t understand and won’t expect.” 

“Here’s what we’ll do. We’ll disguise ourselves as peasant women, and get the King and Queen to agree to let us take the Prince and raise him out in a cottage in the woods.” Jenna said.

“You mean we? Us?” Brooke looked apprehensive. “Take care of a child?”

“If humans can do it, I see no reason why a fairy can’t as well.” Chloe said. 

“We won’t be able to use magic.” Jenna said, “We must blend in with the humans.” 

“You mean live as mortals? For eighteen years?” Brooke still didn’t seem keen on the idea. 

“We’re fairies, Brooke. Eighteen years is less than the blink of an eye.” Jenna said.

“Oh, all right. For the prince.” Brooke nodded. 

“Come along.” Jenna said, standing up. “We must tell Their Majesties at once.”

The King and Queen agreed to the fairies’ plan, though it was with a heavy heart, and the fairies took the Prince to the forest, where they took up residence in a humble cottage that had once been owned by a woodcutter. They clothed the child in simple clothes and gave him a common folk name- Rich, a shortened version of his real name. He had no idea he was a prince- to him, Jenna, Chloe, and Brooke were his aunts who had taken him in after his parents’ tragic deaths when he was just an infant. 

And Rich grew up, surrounded by the forest, as kind and wise as the fairies had promised he would become on his birthday. They grew their own food and made their own clothes, so that they would never have to journey into the kingdom. 

Meanwhile, Lailon mourned the loss of their prince. However, as the eve of Rich’s eighteenth birthday approached, the kingdom began to rejoice. For everyone knew that as long as Madeline’s wrath thundered from the forbidden mountains, her evil curse had not yet been fulfilled.


	2. Chapter 1

Madeline, meanwhile, was not happy. As the date of Prince Richard’s eighteenth birthday grew nearer and nearer, her chances of finding the child grew slimmer. And Madeline knew that if she failed to find the child before the sun set on Prince Richard’s eighteenth birthday, the curse would expire. And because she had used her “gift” to curse the Prince, she wouldn’t be able to touch him again. The King and Queen would get away with their disrespect, they would get away with sullying _her_ honor. Madeline was not about to let what they’d done slide because her morons of henchmen weren’t able to find a boy. 

“Eighteen years.” Madeline was currently barking at a small platoon of her henchmen, jittery men whose knees shook from her simply being near them, casting nervous glances up at her pet raven, Diablo, who sat on her shoulder. “Eighteen years and you’re telling me you haven’t found a _trace_ of the boy. You’ve searched everywhere?”

The captain of the platoon nodded. “Yes, mistress. Everywhere.”

“You’ve searched the town?” Madeline weaved around the men, smirking slightly as none of them dared to meet her eyes. “The forests? The mountains?”

“Yes, mistress.” The captain nodded. “Every mountain, every forest, every house, and in every cradle.”

Madeline stopped dead in her tracks. Slowly, she turned around to face the captain, straining to keep her voice cool. “Cradle?”

“Yeah, a cradle.” The captain gulped. “That’s where people put babies.”

“_Babies._” Madeline turned to Diablo, letting a simpering smile onto her face. “Did you hear that, my pet? All these years, they’ve been looking for a _baby_!” Oh, isn’t that _hilarious_.” And then, Madeline began to laugh.

The soldiers, seeing Madeline laugh, must have been put at ease. A few of them gave nervous chuckles, and soon they were all laughing. 

That was when Madeline stopped. “You _idiots_! You _imbeciles!_ You absolute _morons_!” 

“Mistress, please-“

The platoon captain, suddenly terrified, didn’t have time to finish his sentence before Madeline slammed her staff into the ground, sending a shockwave of lime green through the air. When it cleared, most of the platoon, save for one soldier, had been reduced to ashes and the charred heaps of metal that had once been their helmets and weapons. 

Madeline turned to face the lone remaining soldier, and pointed a finger at him. “_You_. You live.” 

The soldier gave a sob of relief, and fell to his knees. “Thank you, mistress. Thank you.”

“Tell the other soldiers what happened.” Madeline hissed. “Do not leave out a single detail. Let them know what happens when you make careless mistakes.”

“Yes, mistress.” The soldier nodded.

“Now leave my sight.” 

The soldier scrambled to his feet and ran out of the room, leaving Madeline alone with Diablo. 

“Oh, they’re hopeless.” Madeline sunk down onto her throne, carved of black metal into an intricate design of thorns, and ran a finger down Diablo’s backside. “A disgrace to the forces of evil.” She turned her head to look at Diablo. “You’re my last hope, pet. Circle far and wide, look for a boy who matches the description of Prince Richard. Go, and do not fail me.”

Diablo gave a squawk and flew out the window, and Madeline smiled. Diablo was an expert tracker, and as long as he was looking for the Prince, there was still hope for her yet.

***

Indeed, Madeline’s soldiers had made a grave mistake, and a stupid one at that. For deep in the woods, in a woodcutter’s cottage, the fairies had been carrying out their well-laid plan for eighteen years. Rich had grown up with the forest, believing the fairies to be his aunts, and having no idea that there was an entire kingdom just a carriage ride away that missed him dearly. As his eighteenth birthday approached, however, the fairies knew they would have to tell him. To soften the blow, they’d planned a party for the boy. 

“What flavor should the cake be, Chloe?” Brooke asked, running her finger down a list of baking ingredients in a cookbook. “What do you think Rich will like?”

“Hmm...” Chloe pressed her lips together, no longer painted red as to give her the appearance of a simple peasant woman. “Chocolate. It’s his favorite.” 

“And of course, we’ll make the frosting blue.” Jenna was taking the ingredients out of cabinets and placing them on the counter. 

Chloe shook her head. “No, it’ll be pink.” 

“But-“ 

“How are we going to get him out of the house?” Brooke cut Jenna off, trying to avoid a spat. 

“What are you guys up to?” 

The fairies turned, hiding the cake supplies behind their backs as Rich came down the stairs, taking them two at a time even though he knew Brooke didn’t like him to do that. In the eighteen years, Rich had grown into a rather handsome young man, with skin a terra-cotta brown like the color of a leaf in autumn, dark, curly hair, and an infectious smile that you couldn’t help but share when you were around him.

“Well? What’s going on?” Rich asked.

“We... you see, we... wanted...” Brooke stammered, trying to come up with a convincing enough lie. 

“We wanted you to go out and pick some berries.” Jenna swooped in. 

“Berries?” Rich furrowed his brow in confusion. “But I just picked some two days ago.” 

“We...” Chloe looked out of the corner of her eye at the pail of berries on the counter, still half-full, and without taking her eyes off of Rich, reached up until she grabbed the handle and tipped the pail over, spilling reddish-purple berries all over the counter and floor. “We spilled them.”

Rich chuckled. “Oh, you’re so clumsy.” He didn’t sound entirely convinced, but grabbed the now-empty pail and started towards the door. 

“Be back by two, all right?” Chloe called after him.

“And don’t go too far.” Jenna added. 

Brooke chimed in, “And don’t talk to strangers!” 

Rich shut the door behind him, then shook his head. His aunts weren’t nearly as sneaky as they thought they were, bless them. 

Back in the cabin, Brooke gave a sigh of relief. “Do you think he suspects?”

“No, he couldn’t possibly.” Jenna said sarcastically, “Chloe was ever so sneaky about it.” 

Ignoring Jenna’s snide comment, Chloe turned to the recipe book. “Oh, Rich is going to be so surprised when he gets back.” 

“I’ll get the wands.” Brooke clapped her hands, but Jenna grabbed her shoulder.

“No, you won’t. No magic, remember?” 

“What? But the eighteen years are almost up!” Chloe groaned.

“We mustn’t take any chances.” Jenna said frankly, like a mother scolding a child.

“I’ve never baked a fancy cake before.” Chloe said, shuffling her feet.

“Oh, you won’t have to.” Brooke said. “I’m going to bake the cake.” 

“You?” Chloe raised an eyebrow. 

“She’s always wanted to, and this is her last chance.” Jenna explained.

“I’ll handle all the baking, you two just decorate.” Brooke smiled.

“But she’s never baked before.” Brooke protested. 

“It’s easy. All you have to do is follow the book.” Brooke said.

“Come on, Chloe, we can mix the frosting.” Jenna guided Chloe to a different part of the kitchen, leaving Brooke to mix the cake ingredients together. 

“Let’s see.” Brooke clicked her tongue. “Three cups of flour... cups? Okay.” She turned around and opened the cabinet that held their drinking cups. She took out a pink teacup with a chip, a wooden mug, and a glass. If the recipe called for three cups’ worth, Brooke was going to trust it. 

Chloe and Jenna had gathered the basic ingredients for frosting and were now mixing them into a copper bowl. “It’s going to taste wonderful.” Chloe said, stirring the mixture with a wooden spoon.

Jenna pursed her lips as she watched the color the frosting mixed into. “It’s pink.”

“It’s a lovely shade, isn’t it?” Chloe smiled.

“But I wanted blue.” Jenna protested.

“We decided that pink was the best color.” Chloe continued to stir the frosting. 

“No, we did not, _you_ decided that!” 

Oblivious to Chloe and Jenna’s bickering, Brooke was still trying to figure out this complicated human recipe. “Fold the eggs in? What on _Earth_ is that supposed to mean?” She placed the eggs into the bowl and, using her hands, tossed and pressed the doughy mixture around until she heard the splintering of eggshells. “Now, it says ‘yeast, one tsp.’ What’s a ‘tsp’?” She called.

“Teaspoon. It means teaspoon.” Chloe called back. 

“Oh, right.” Brooke nodded. 

“I can’t believe it’s Rich’s birthday.” Jenna sighed. “It seems like just yesterday he was a toddler.” 

Chloe turned from her frosting mixing to find that Jenna was wiping tears from her eyes. “Why, what’s wrong?” 

“After today, he’ll be Prince Richard again, and we won’t have Rich anymore.” Jenna sniffled.

“Oh, Jenna.” Brooke walked away from the cake mix and placed a comforting hand on Jenna’s shoulder. “We all knew this day had to come.” 

“Yes, but did it have to come so soon?” Jenna wiped her eyes. 

“Jenna, we’ve had the boy for _eighteen years_.” Chloe put down the frosting bowl.

“Eighteen wonderful years.” Jenna sighed.

“Goodness.” Chloe gasped as she realized everyone had abandoned their duties. “We’re acting like a lot of ninnies. Come on, he’ll be back before we get started at this rate.” 

***

One of the things Rich enjoyed the most was walking in the forest. It was peaceful, with just him and the animals most of the time. Yes, there was the occasional other person, like those very strange men who had come up to him just last week and asked if he’d seen a baby, but Rich usually didn’t talk to them. His aunts had warned him against talking to strangers, after all. 

Deep down, Rich wondered what it would be like to have a boy his age to talk to. Animals were good listeners, but didn’t provide much in the ways of conversation. And his aunts were nice, but Rich couldn’t help but feel as if they were hiding something from him. It would have been nice to have someone who didn’t keep secrets from him all the time. 

Rich hadn’t been paying attention to the road, and nearly tripped over a tree root. That snapped him out of his musings pretty quick. Once he was shaken out of his thoughts, he saw the grove of berries he’d been heading towards when he started this walk. 

As he picked the berries off their branches and put them into the pail, their purple juices staining his fingers, Rich couldn’t help but feel it was a bit too quiet. He never liked it when it was too quiet, so he usually had to break the silence. There was a song he liked- a lullaby, one his aunts had been singing to him for as long as he could remember. 

“_I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream..._” 

What Rich didn’t know was that there was another person in this forest, and that this person happened to be a boy about Rich’s age. His name was Jake, and he was hopelessly lost. 

“Oh, I am going to hear it from my parents if I’m late.” Jake groaned. He turned to his horse, a palomino, and narrowed his eyes. “This is all _your_ fault.” 

The horse only nickered in response. 

“Come on, then.” Jake tugged on the reins. “Maybe we can find a local and get directions.” 

Perhaps it hadn’t been the best idea to go traipsing through the forest that he’d never been through before alone. Some might even say it had been dumb of him. As he walked along the path with his horse’s reins in his hands, he kept an ear out for any signs of a friendly local that wouldn’t mind giving a very embarrassed young man directions. And it wasn’t long before he heard it- someone singing.

“_I know you, the gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam..._” 

“Ah, there we go.” Jake looked around trying to find the source of the singing- whoever it was, they were very good at it.

“_But I know it’s true, that visions are seldom all they seem..._” 

Jake let go of the reins and walked towards the sound, his horse staying in its place as he walked. He pushed branches out of his way and stepped over roots, smiling slightly to himself as he thought about the fuss his parents would make if they saw their son clawing his way through the wilderness.

“_But if I know you, I know what you’ll do. You’ll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream._” 

Right as the person finished their song, Jake stumbled out of the thicket and into a clearing, providing a very awkward situation.

The singer, a boy, gave a yell of surprise and stumbled backwards. He started to get up, as if to run, but Jake called out, 

“Wait, wait! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” 

The boy looked over Jake from head to toe, brown eyes widened in a mixture of shock and apprehension. “Who- who are you?” 

“I’m Jake.” Jake stuck out his hand, but the boy still eyed it warily. 

“My Aunts said not to talk to strangers.” The boy said, stepping back a little bit more. His stance reminded Jake of a deer- graceful, but easily startled. 

“I won’t be very long. It’s just that I’m...” Jake’s voice trailed off. He was a rather proud person, and there was something about this boy that made Jake not want to admit how horribly lost he’d been. “I’m sort of...”

“Are you lost?” The boy asked, and for the first time, Jake detected a hint of amusement in his voice. 

“No, I’m just... taking the scenic route.” 

The boy laughed, a melodic sound that was carried by the forest wind. “And you would like some directions for this scenic route of yours?”

“Okay, perhaps I am a tad disoriented.” Jake admitted sheepishly.

The boy shook his head. “Could have fooled me. I’m Rich.” He smiled. “There. Now we’re no longer strangers.” 

“Ah, and your aunts have no rules against talking to acquaintances, I presume?” 

Rich smiled. There was something else about Jake- like Rich had seen him before. It was an odd sort of feeling- not bad, but sort of warm, the kind of feeling you got when you drank hot chocolate. Rich found that he rather enjoyed it. “No, they haven’t.” 

“You wouldn’t mind giving a poor, lost traveler some directions, then?” Jake asked.

“It would be my pleasure.” Rich responded. 

As they walked, Rich found it so remarkably easy to talk with Jake. It was no time at all before they were conversing as if they’d known each other all their lives instead of only for a few minutes. The way out of the forest wasn’t very long, but Rich found himself taking several purposeful wrong turns just so the conversation wouldn’t have to end. 

“...and that’s when I realized that it was actually a snake hole, not a bunny hole, and I was very lucky to not get bitten when I stuck my hand in there.” Rich finished his story just as the two of them reached the edge of the forest, to a small feeling of disappointment.

“Is this it?” Jake asked, staring out at the dirt road that wound through the plains until it snaked over the hill and out of sight.

Rich nodded. “Just down that road.” 

Jake turned to Rich, smiling. “Thank you for your help. I hope that we will meet again sometime soon.”

“As do I.” Rich returned the smile. 

Jake mounted his horse, but not before casting a glance at Rich. “Farewell.” 

“Farewell.” Rich waved goodbye, and with that, the two of them parted ways. However, the dreamlike trance he’d been put in didn’t leave him, and neither did the feeling of warmth deep inside him. Rich really did hope he saw Jake again- he liked the feeling he got when he was around him. Rich had read about stories of romance in fairy tales, and for the first time, he felt as if he was experiencing it for real.


	3. Chapter Two

Back at the cottage, preparations for the surprise party were going about as well as one would expect them to. 

“It’s quite an unusual cake, isn’t it?” Brooke tilted her head to one side. “But if you look at it this way, it doesn’t look half bad.” 

“Not half bad? What are you talking about?” Jenna groaned, taking in the lopsided cake. “It’s absolutely _awful_.” 

“So it’s a little bit unlike the book.” Chloe shook her head. “Maybe it will improve after we frost it.” 

Jenna shook her head. “I’ve had enough of this nonsense. Rich doesn’t deserve something like this for his last birthday with us!” She huffed, dusting off her flour-covered hands on her apron. 

“I still think what I think before.” Brooke crossed her arms and exited the kitchen. “I’m going to get the wands.”

“You know...” Jenna sighed. “I think she’s right, Chloe.” 

Brooke walked into the living room and took a carved wooden box off the bookshelf, one that had been locked tight. She took the key, which she wore on a string around her neck, and stuck it into the lock. The lock turned, and a few seconds later, Brooke walked back into the kitchen with their three beautifully carved wands in her hand. 

“Here you go.” She smiled as she handed the wands to their respective fairies. 

Chloe sighed. “Fine. But we must be careful. Lock the doors. Jenna, close all the windows. Pluck up every cranny. We mustn’t take any chances!”

The fairies did as was said. Brooke locked the front door, Jenna drew the curtains firmly shut, and Chloe pulled down the shutters. The house was sealed up tight as a drum.

“Now.” Chloe said, “Jenna and I will fix the cake.”

“And what’ll I do?” Brooke asked. 

“You need to clean up the living room.” Chloe said. “It’s a mess, and we don’t want it to be so for the party.” 

Brooke looked irritated, but quickly brightened up when she realized she wouldn’t be doing it all by hand. With a smile on her face, she pointed her wand towards the cupboard where they kept their cleaning supplies. 

“_Come on, bucket, come on, broom. Brooke says to clean up this room!_.” 

A golden glitter floated through the air and settled on the cleaning supplies, and, as if they had a will of their own, they floated over to the living room and began to dust, sweep, and wash every surface. Brooke smiled. “Oh, I’ve missed this.” 

In the kitchen, Chloe and Jenna were hard at work making a new cake after discarding the old one. “_Eggs, flour, milk, come look. Do it just the way it’s done in the book._” Jenna waved her wand over the empty bowl. A blue ray of magic levitated the ingredients, and the cake began to make itself. Everything seemed to be going smoothly, until Jenna saw the color of frosting Chloe had put on the cake.

“Oh, no, Chloe, make it blue.” Jenna pointed her wand at the cake, and in an instant, the pink frosting had changed to the color of a deep blue lake. 

“Jenna!” Chloe scolded. “Make it pink!” She pointed her own wand at the cake, and the blue frosting was once again changed to the delicate pink of a rose.

“Blue.” Jenna hissed. She shot out a ray of magic, and the frosting was once again blue.

“Pink!” Chloe snapped, and the frosting was pink again. 

“Blue!”

“Pink!”

The two of them began to argue, and one of Jenna’s rays of magic that had been intended for the cake instead shot through the living room, into the fireplace, and ricocheted up the chimney. Unbeknownst to the fairies, Diablo was circling overhead, eager on carrying out his mistress’s orders, and saw the explosion of blue light. His keen eyes narrowed, and he knew that something was amiss. But the fairies were blissfully ignorant as both Chloe and Jenna’s spells hit the cake at the same time, causing it to turn a muddled pinkish-blue as if two cans of color had been emptied upon it. 

“Oh, now look what you’ve done!” Jenna snapped. 

“Hush!” Brooke said, butting into the argument and silencing what was sure to have been a witty retort from Chloe. “Listen.”

In the silence, the three fairies heard Rich gently humming a song from outside the cottage.

“It’s Rich.” Jenna’s eyes widened.

“Well, then, enough of this foolishness.” Chloe said. “Quick, put everything right.”

Brooke pointed her wand at the cleaning supplies, which drifted back into the cupboard and very politely shut the cupboard door behind them. Jenna opened the curtains once more, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the newfound sunlight, and unlocked the door. And Chloe, very discreetly, pointed her wand at the cake and whispered, “Make it pink.”

As Jenna walked back into the kitchen, she too pointed her wand at the cake. “Blue.” The frosting turned a lovely shade of blue, and for once, Chloe was too tired to object.

Not a minute later, the door opened, and Rich walked in, as if he was in a dreamlike trance. When he saw Brooke, Chloe, and Jenna standing there with the cake, however, his eyes widened and he seemed to snap out of his daydream. “Oh!”

“Surprise!” Brooke beamed.

“Happy birthday, Rich.” Jenna said, smiling. 

“Oh my lord, you remembered!” Rich broke into a grin.

“I don’t suppose my little berry routine had you fooled?” Chloe asked sheepishly.

“I’ll pretend it did.” Rich said. “The cake looks delicious.” Jenna and Chloe shared a smile as Rich turned to the fairies, still smiling widely. “You really didn’t have to do this.”

“Nonsense. This is your special day.” Jenna smiled, but it dampened when she remembered _why_ they’d thrown this party. “Actually, Rich, there’s something we’ve been meaning to tell you-“ 

“This has been such an amazing day already.” Rich said. “First I meet him and now we get to have cake!”

The fairies stopped in their tracks. “_Him_?” Brooke asked, eyes widening. “Who’s _him_?”

“Oh. I met someone!” Rich beamed. 

“Rich, you talked to a stranger?” Chloe raised her eyebrows.

“Well, he was a stranger, but then we introduced ourselves, so now he’s not! I know that’s bending the rules a little bit, but I just couldn’t help myself!” Rich sighed. “He was just so _handsome_, and he was nice, and we talked for so long... I think he might fancy me.” 

“Oh no.” Chloe whispered under her breath. 

“What?” Rich asked. “What’s the matter?”

Jenna sighed and sat down on the couch, motioning for Rich to do the same. “Rich, darling, I’m afraid that there’s something we must tell you.”


	4. Chapter 4

To Rich’s credit, he stayed quite calm while the fairies told him everything. That they weren’t really his aunts, that his true parents were still alive, and, most importantly, that he would have to go back to the kingdom the day after his eighteenth birthday. In fact, it was only the last part that made him upset.

“But what about him?” Rich asked. “The boy I met in the woods?” 

Chloe, Brooke, and Jenna exchanged a pensive look before Brooke took Rich’s hand, her brow creased in concern. “I’m sorry, Rich, but you must never see that young man again.” 

“What?” Rich’s eyes widened as he looked to Jenna and Chloe, as if searching for anything to dispute this. However, both of the women he had known his whole life as his aunts simply looked down, as if they couldn’t bring themselves to meet Rich’s eyes. 

“We’re taking you back to your parents.” Brooke said softly. “Tonight.” 

“No.” Rich shook his head. “No, I won’t allow it.” 

“This is the way it has to be.” Brooke said. 

“You can’t just take me away from this place! It’s my home. And right as I’d finally found someone to...” With no more words, Rich broke free of Brooke’s grasp and turned, going right up the stairs. The three fairies could hear his door slam, the sound echoing through the small cottage. 

Jenna sighed. “And we thought he’d be so happy.” 

“There, there.” Chloe put a hand on Jenna’s shoulder. “He will come around.” 

“He’s got to.” Brooke said worriedly.

Unbeknownst to the fairies, Madeline’s raven Diablo had been watching the entire exchange, listening with a keen ear. Now that he had confirmation of what he needed to know, he spread his wings and took off through the air. The sun would set in a few hours’ time, and he needed to inform his mistress that he had, in fact, found the elusive Prince Richard.

***

Back at the royal palace, preparations were well underway. Queen Annabelle waited anxiously for her son to come back to her, even neglecting to eat her evening meal. She had already lost her husband, in the terrible plague that swept through their kingdom years prior. Prince Richard was her only living family. 

A messenger opened the doors to the throne room, and the Queen’s head spun around. The messenger watched as her face briefly rose with hope, only to fall again as she saw that it was only the messenger standing there. 

“Your majesty.” The messenger gave a short bow. “His Royal Highness, King Jacob Dillinger.” 

The messenger stepped aside, allowing a young man who looked no older than eighteen to enter the room through the large double doors. He dropped to one knee and nodded respectfully. “Queen Annabelle.” 

The Queen gave a small smile. “King Jacob.” She turned to the messenger and gave a short nod. “Thank you, Jeremy. You are dismissed.” 

The messenger nodded and left the room, leaving the Queen and the King Jacob alone. The Queen stood up. “It’s good to see you again. And may I offer my sincerest condolences for what happened to your parents.” 

“Thank you, Queen Annabelle.” Jacob said. “It has been hard on the kingdom. I’m trying to be a good ruler, for the sake of my people.” 

“From what I’ve heard, you’ve been doing a fine job.” The Queen gave Jacob a smile, a warm smile, the kind she may have given her son if he hadn’t been taken from her by that damned curse. 

“Thank you.” Jacob gave a relieved sort of smile. “That means a lot, coming from you.” 

“I suspect you did not make the visit just to say hello.” The Queen said. 

“You would be right, your majesty.” King Jacob nodded. “I understand that today is the day Prince Richard will be returning?” 

The Queen smiled. “Indeed.” 

“I wish to greet him when he arrives.” Jacob said. “After all, he will be the King of your kingdom one day, and as your kingdom is our closest ally, I feel it only proper to make a connection with him.” 

“Of course.” The Queen said, “After all, you were only a baby when he was sent away. You wouldn’t remember him.” 

“I hope it’s not too much trouble that I come barging in unannounced.” Jacob sounded almost sheepish, which made the Queen smile. 

“Not at all.” She shook her head. “I will arrange for a spare room to be put to your use.” 

“That would be lovely.” Jacob smiled. “I am a little bit tired.” 

“Then you should get some rest.” The Queen said. “You’ve had quite a long journey.” 

As the Queen called a servant to lead the King Jacob to his room, the three fairies had slipped Prince Richard into the castle through a side door, one that led into a cellar. Rich still refused to speak or even look the three fairies in the eyes. He only bit his lip as if he were trying to keep from crying. 

“Rich, dear...” Chloe’s voice trailed off. She reached out as if to take him by the hand, but Rich pulled his hand away.

“Come.” Jenna put a hand on Chloe’s shoulder. “Let him have a few moments alone.” 

With somber looks, the fairies exited the room and shut the door behind them. Brooke leaned against the wall, her head in her hands, and let out a tired sigh. “Oh, it’s that boy he met in the woods.” 

“Whatever are we going to do?” Chloe groaned. 

Inside the room, Rich was about ready to lose all of his control and start crying, but he was interrupted when the lamp illuminating the cellar suddenly went out. He barely had time to yelp at the sudden darkness before another light went up, this one a greenish-yellow. As he watched the fire dance through the air, he was overcome by a strange feeling, a call, almost, beckoning him to come closer. Like his feet had a mind of their own, he began to take slow steps towards the eerie glow. As he approached the lantern, the light seemed to move beyond it. And suddenly, there was a corridor. One that hadn’t been there before, or at least, Rich didn’t think it had been there. 

Outside, Jenna’s eyes widened. “Listen.”  
Indeed, as Rich stepped into the corridor, his footsteps echoed through the air. 

Chloe gasped. “Madeline.”

Brooke turned towards the door. “Rich! Rich!” 

When there was no response, Chloe pushed past Brooke and opened the door. There was just enough time for them to watch Rich disappear into the corridor before the wall reappeared. 

“Oh, why did we leave him alone?” Brooke cried as they approached the place where the doorway to the corridor had once been.

“Step aside.” Jenna raised her wand and muttered an incantation under her breath. Small blue butterflies flew out of the tip of her wand and settled on the rocks, and as if the wall was made of tissue paper rather than stone, the wall seemed to melt away. “Quickly!”

Inside the corridor, Rich came to a crossroads. There were multiple hallways going out of the singular corridor, like spokes on a wagon wheel. However, he didn’t stop to ponder which way he should go. The feeling inside seemed to be coaxing him down one hallway, one that had a large staircase leading up from it. The light seemed to be just out of his reach the entire time, but he could see the green glow. 

The fairies rushed down the corridor, groaning in frustration when they saw the multiple adjoining hallways. Each one frantically rushed down a hallway, but none of them led anywhere. 

The staircase was steep, and Rich was just about to wonder if it would ever end when he exited into a round room. The light seemed to hover in the middle of the room for a second, and as he watched in silence amazement, the light seemed to... transform. Its shape shifted, its color darkened, and soon it was a spinning wheel, one made of dark ebony wood. It seemed to be beckoning him, calling for him... 

He had to touch it. 

The fairies finally managed to find the right hallway, and raced up the seemingly endless staircase, desperate to stop what they knew was about to happen. 

“Rich!” Chloe called. “Rich, stop!”

As if he was deaf to their pleas, Rich continued walking towards the spinning wheel, his left hand outstretched.

“Don’t touch anything!” Jenna yelled. 

Up in the tower, Rich suddenly stopped just short of touching the spindle. He could have sworn he heard his aunt Jenna calling for him to stop...

A female voice spoke into his left ear, loud enough to drown out Jenna’s voice. “Touch the spindle. Touch it, I say!”

As if in a trance, Rich reached out and touched the tip of his pointer finger to the spindle’s point. 

In that moment, the fairies reached the end of the staircase. And their hearts sank when they saw Madeline, face-to-face with them for the first time in eighteen years, _laughing_. Her raven perched on her shoulder, cawing as if attempting to laugh along, its black feathers ruffling. 

“You poor, simple fools.” Madeline laughed. “Did you _really_ think you could defeat me? The _mistress of all evil_? Well, here’s your precious prince.” 

She raised her staff in the air, and a sickly green light surrounded her. In a flash, she and her raven were gone, and the fairies gasped at what they saw. Though it was difficult to see in the darkened tower room, the form of Prince Richard, fast asleep on the stone floor, was plain to see.

**Author's Note:**

> Sleeping Beauty is one of my favorite Disney films, so I absolutely had to make it into an AU!


End file.
